紅酒館小型私聚

剛過去的星期一，到了朋友的酒舖，那裡剛巧有位置可以打邊爐，就咁拎左幾支特別少少的去配食物。講到尾，其實都係搵個籍口飲酒者。

首先係

奧地利既Grüner Veltliner，飲落去係有d mineral，floral，再有dd honey但香氣唔算好勁個種。

之後到Loire valley既Poilly-Fume，其實係落過一段時間木桶既sauvignon blanc，本身應有既草青味就比較少左dd，但咁樣反而仲好，令整支酒既味道更平衡

德國的Grauburgunder，其實即係Pinot Gris，你會搵到士輕輕既梨味

Leroy burgundy: 呢支唔係一般既Burgogne wine，有典故架，詳情睇下面

http://www.domaine-leroy.com/homepage/

p.s. 2009年Ponti賣緊四百左右

其實Primitivo即係Zinfandel，點講呢，red fruit但接近black fruit 少少，多左d乾梅味，不過又唔會好似Tempranillo咁陽光氣息咁.

Penthouse by Harlan Goldstein

剛巧之前個星期有時間，去了銅鑼灣一轉，諗起呢間又未試過，所以上左來囉。

其實一點鐘人流不算非常多，食物最吸引其實係個semi-buffet，因為真係好多好多野食，主菜當然都好唔錯，但份量不算多，可能係預大家會傾向食多少少buffet提供既食物。

主菜我地就揀左三文魚和雞，雖然個slow cook雞都好嫩滑，但係就三文魚睇落好食dd。

甜品係bar檯個邊都有6-7款揀，tiramisu和macha pudding都唔錯，結果呢餐食完都差唔多3點鐘啦。

得龍大飯店

呢次係上星期五的酒聚，今次主要講下呢度既食物，眾所周知呢間都係懷舊菜為主，樣樣都做得好食其實都幾難得下~

首先係焗魚腸，好多時魚腸都會有腥味，反而呢一間就冇咩，就算唔加胡椒粉都竟然ok~

大家認住, 金錢雞其實係冇雞架, 係以前食唔起雞既年代, 用口感類似雞既野食代替~

鴨腳包, 以鴨腸包着醃製過的叉燒、鴨肝和燒鴨，中間夾着鴨腳燒

不用講都知道這個是蝦多士啦

反而蝦子柚皮比香港大學校友會做得失色

古法太爺雞, 這個反而是他們自己構思的, 重點是燻香四溢

砵酒焗桶蠔, 本身桶蠔肥美不用說, 剛好是炸得邊位脆脆的

個個帶來的酒都不錯, 尤其是最左邊的兩支, 他日有空再逐一介紹

後院 L'arrière-cour - 其之二

剛剛說到開頭三選一的威士忌吧，身旁的新朋友就喝著下面的兩支，都是帶citrus和果味為主的，熟成年期雖然較短，但換來的是清新的氣息。中間也聊起到台灣去哪裡玩？我得到一個很意外的答案，玩滑翔傘！原因嘛，主要是比香港平好多好多。哈哈，這個可以說是繼書店、美食、威士忌之外，再來台北的理由囉。

飲完第一杯，再想想喝甚麼，由於是次來沒有甚麼目的，故此是bartender介紹一些香港比較少見的，而其中一支，是他們自己bid回來入樽的。這個時候老闆Steven過來閒談，在說這支威士忌的來歷，這是本身在艾雷島(Islay)的Bunnahabhain蒸餾廠，並由雪梨桶(Sherry)熟成，老闆說這是第三個batch，每次他們在facebook說有得開賣，基本上是短時間之內已經認購完畢。而且，Steven除了有whisky的授課之外，也有wine的授課及生意，當初他們打算推波爾多紅酒的，但後來發現市場只顧集中在左岸 61間GCC的酒莊，及其他的名酒莊，同時波爾多左岸好多酒莊都是由以前的貴族流傳下來，這與右岸主要是農夫建立的基礎有所差別。還有一個原因，就是他認為波爾多的風土及微氣候的影響不及布根地的明顯 (我認為這主要反而受業權傳承的因素，導到同一地區不同田園各自的釀法的偏差影響)，所以現在都開拓布根地酒的市場。

至於味道嘛，nose你不覺得非常特別，固然有點蜜糖和玉桂，但當你一喝下去，那種在口裡的爆發感突然湧出來。先來的有同時有咖啡和黑朱古力的甘苦，之後衝上來的爆發感主要是本身雪梨桶的特質而成，同時也有蜜糖香氣四溢。再複雜一點我都暫時寫不出啦，這可說是上次whisky library的47年Clan Denny之外，另一支驚喜之作啦。

隔離的uncle叫了以下的一支clynelish distillery的 Berrys' Own Selection Scotch Whisky (Berry's 即係BB&R)，還有Jim Murray的簽名啊。

**至於 Steven 嘛，大有來頭囉，自己睇：

http://www.drinks.com.tw/famous-0903.php

後院 L'arrière-cour - 其之一

6月底去一趟台北，其實目的就沒甚麼，但中間安排了一晚，特地去拜訪一家叫後院的酒吧，可能你會問，只是一家酒吧而已，又何必特地前往呢？但你一進去，抬頭一看，那一牆的威士忌已經足夠你吸引眼球啦。這家可是一個威士忌博物館啊。

酒在超市 4000 版聚

而家我都係好懶，真係鐘意就寫下就算，不過咁，有好野總會介紹俾大家既。

上星期二考完試，氣都未回哂又一口氣join左兩個tasting event，美其名係tasting event，其實咪又係咁，之不過，都有d gimmick既。

講番正題既4000版聚先，之前已經join過一次 (3000個陣)，個page而家都唔少人睇 (俾我當初add個陣得千幾個多好多)。版主都好有心咁介紹下超市有咩酒買得有咩係伏既，雖然而家個方向可能改左少少，仲有sake添，不過唔緊要，咁樣反而仲有多d新野睇。其中一支仲要福島縣既 “大七純米生酛”，當然有人聽到怕怕，但你知道實際地理位置既話問題不大的。而且在溫燗飲就岩岩好，本身米味可以好warming的。

呢次因為人多既關係，其實分左幾張檯坐，但係一人帶一支酒之後，中間張檯就變左一字長蛇陣，相機都映唔哂。

我地係有諗過整唔整番個page，介紹下飲過既wine，join過d咩event，不過呢，個個都咁懶，講左十年都係唔會成事架啦。算啦，都係睇番人地個d先。

WSET - Diploma exam (June 2014 - unit 1, unit 4)

這次的 WSET Diploma 的 Spirit (unit 4) 及 Beverage Industry (Unit 1) 考試終於完成。考完的時候我只是感覺到右手震顫得利害，無他，很久沒有考過論文題也。

在這裡我不打算討論考試內容，只是談一下對考試的觀感啦。雖然準備 unit 1 所花的時間比spirit的theory及tasting的部分來看不算多，頂多是比較花時間上網做research，但其實 unit 1 及 unit 4 一併考也頗為辛苦，

不過，我依然認為這次準備不足、深度不夠且準備的內容也僅僅只能在考試扼要地回答。而且現在不像讀書的時候那麼好記性，考理論題時也要花點時間回帶。至於tasting，大家都認為第一支比較難估。

雖然Unit 1考的內容與預備的相距不遠，但在時間管理上要改進一下。連續寫了那麼久的字，寫都寫到手跛，而且當年讀書不是文科出身，對這樣連續寫字的考試，幾乎沒有經驗。

還是希望這次考試合格啦。

The WSET Diploma exam for Spirit (unit 4) and Beverage Industry (Unit 1) finally comes to an end yesterday. I am just feeling tired as my right hand is already very tired after long time essay writing, as I have not taken any essay type question these years.

I am not intended to discuss those exam content, just talking about the feeling for the exam. It is quite harsh to take unit 1 and 4 together, although the time you need to spend on unit 1 (mainly doing research on the web) is not very much compared with spirit tasting and theory. 

Still, I admit, my preparation was not very in-depth and those content were just enough to write a reasonable length in the examination environment. My memory was not as good as I was young, and trying hard to  recall my memory when doing spirit theory question in the exam. For the tasting session, most of the people are frustrated with the exact type of spirit.

For the unit 1 question, it was not very far away from my expectation but need to do better on time management, and it is really really tired for continuous writing. We did not expect this will beat us much, may be we are not used to such condition for my science and engineering background in the past.

After all, I still hope that I can get a pass on both papers.

WSET Diploma - unit 4 Spirit exercise for theory questions

離考試兩個星期多d, 做下D題目先, 但我而家open book做都唔易, 而且冇咩idea 10分鐘寫幾多, 而且我下面係寫20分鐘的長度來的。anyway，俾大家參考下先。

Armagnac

Armagnac is the France’s first brandy. Today, its volume is about 18000 hL, but when the period of Phylloxera, volume has dropped to 5000 in 1937 and the reputation Is ruined at that time and now have already recovered.

Unlike Cognac, which have 4 main distilleries, Armagnac has many small merchant house and estate producers but without any dominant distilleries. The label terms are similar to Congac, which consists of VS, VSOP, Napolean, XO and vintage, of which XO and vintage consists of 40% of sales. The ageing requirement in oak barrels are 1, 4, 6, 10 years respectively.

For the grape variety, total 10 are permitted and 4 are playing the important roles: Ugni Blanc (Terbbiano in Italian): 55% plantings, with good disease resistant, low sugar and high in acid therefore low in alcohol. It gives grapy and floral character.

Baco: 32% plantings, with rich, earthy, prune-like character

Folle Blanche: mainly floral

Colombard: spicy, peppery edge

For the crus of Armagnac, the majority planting is Bas Armaganc, and then comes to Tenereze and Haut Armaganc. However, it is hard to pinpoint the role of the style of given cru, as very varied landscape across the region. For the winemaking process, addition of SO2 and must enrichment is prohibited, and fermentation Is made separately for different grapes, and is about 8 – 10% abv.

For the distillation process, although either pot stills or continuous still is used, a unique column still called alembic Armagnacais is used. It is made up of a burner, a column, a wine heater and condenser. Wine is flow through to the condenser by gravity, goes to heater when heated, and then passed into the still. Vapours will pass back into the serpentine in the wine heater and condenser before collected as new spirit. The column still is at 17 plates maximum. Grape varieties are distilled separately, as the still is not stopped, when the first grape variety is used up , it switches over to the second immediately. It may result to a barrels for both wines are collected.

For the maturation, it is spent to new oak barrels for the short period and then goes to old. European oak is preferred but black oak from Monlezun forest is also use.

WSET Diploma - Spirits Tasting (2nd trial - part 1)

接著的另一晚，總共寫了13支tasting notes，好艱苦，但唔做唔得。其實讀這一課真的有點痛苦，因為任何spirit都要試，包括你鐘意同唔鐘意的。

WSET Diploma - Spirits Tasting (1st trial)

為了6月10日unit 4 exam spirit exam的緣故，考試三人組又再出動，之前搜索過的liqueurs剛好也大派用場。我就借用這裡，讓大家分享一下先前寫的tasting note。這次的課題主要是rum，再加兩支大家平日不常見的。